Hardware Store Recreates Van Gogh’s Starry Night With Door Knobs

Looking at a warehouse full of outdated and discontinued door knobs, the folks at Union Hardware in Bethesda, Maryland wondered what they could possible do to put all those products to better use.

“We knew that their commercial viability was limited,” says David Van-Goghberg who works at the store. “Instead of sending them to the scrap yard, we decided to create something memorable.”

So, in 2011 the third-generation, family-owned and operated business began a project to bring to life Vincent Van Gogh’s masterpiece Starry Night using the distinctive tools of the hardware trade — door knobs, levers and plates.

“I drilled and mounted hundreds of knobs and levers to create our version of Starry Night,” wrote the artist on Union’s website. “The final piece of the puzzle was to select materials that could withstand all weather conditions.”

Thanks to the Internet, the installation adorning the outside of the building at 7800 Wisconsin Avenue has gone viral and has been seen by millions of people around the world.